Week 5 Top Ten

1) Florida State Seminoles
Week 5 Result: Beat NC State Wolfpack 56-41 in Raleigh
Last Week's Ranking: 1

Jesus Wilson

Again, I'm tempted to drop the Seminoles a spot or two but with none of the next few ranked teams having a game, I can't. NC State has typically been a trap game for Florida State and it looked like they were going to do it again during the first half of this game. I'm really shocked at how the poorly the defense has played for the Seminoles all season. On paper, they have one of the best defensive lines and secondaries in the country. And yet they have just been shredded whenever they come up against a decent offense. NC State was undefeated coming into this game, but giving up 41 points and 520 total yards of offense is simply unacceptable for a team that is looking to repeat as national champs. In the end, they were able to make the stops necessary to take the lead and put the game out of reach, but they desperately need to shore up. Offensively, it is surprising to see Jameis Winston consistently making the wrong decision. He chucked four touchdowns, but his two interceptions were pretty atrocious. I think he is missing Kelvin Benjamin more than we thought he would. Rashad Greene is still a dependable receiver, and freshman Jesus Wilson looks like he is going to live up to the hype, but its clear that Winston misses having a big bodied target that can dominate the middle of the field. The running game finally clicked however, as Karlos Williams ran for 126 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 carries. This team has all the potential in the world, but they've looked very sloppy and might be in danger of missing the playoffs in they continue to have unimpressive performances.


2) Oregon Ducks
Week 5 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 2


3) Oklahoma Sooners
Week 5 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 3


4) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 5 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 4


5) Auburn Tigers

Nick Marshall

Week 5 Result: Beat Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 45-17 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 5

This was another tune up game for the Tigers before they begin their SEC slate. Nick Marshall had a great game, completing only 10 passes but with three of them going for a touchdown. He also ran the ball effectively, adding over 100 yards on the ground. Its a bit disappointing that Auburn doesn't throw the ball too much considering they do have some great play makers. I've heard that if Sammie Coates were able to showcase his ability more, he would be in consideration for a first round selection given his height and speed. D'haquille Williams has proven to be a go to target for Marshall, adding three catches and a touchdown to the effort. It is becoming obvious that Auburn doesn't have a running back on their roster quite like what they had with Tre Mason last season. Cameron Artis-Payne is capable, but he doesn't have the same "it" factor that Mason brought. He's made some good plays throughout the beginning of the season, but it looks like Malzahn will go with a by committee approach this season rather than leaning on a single back. This team played well defensively also, but that was to be expected. They allowed just over 300 total yards and the two touchdowns they allowed were in the second half when the game was out of reach. Next week against LSU will provide a better litmus test for where this team stands.


6) Texas A&M Aggies
Week 5 Result: Beat Arkansas Razorbacks 35-28 in OT in Arlington, TX
Last Week's Ranking: 6

Kenny Hill

The Aggies looked dead in the water heading into the fourth quarter, but two touchdown passes by Kenny Hill, both over 50 yards, brought them back to life to force the game into overtime. While he threw for almost 400 yards and four touchdowns, he did struggle at times, completing just over 50% of his passes on the day and adding an interception into the mix. Yet when his team need him the most, he produced some spectacular throws. He doesn't lack for targets, as almost any receiver on his team can step up and take over a game. Malcome Kennedy is the leader of the group by seniority, and he made some good plays including the game winning touchdown in overtime. The Aggies had some mixed results on the ground, running for 137 yards but never getting into a rhythm to keep Arkansas off balance until the final fifteen minutes. While the Aggies secondary played well against the pass, they were gashed on the ground up front. A&M has a tremendous talent at defensive tackle in Myles Garrett who was able to get a lot of disruption in the timing of Arkansas's passing game. But Arkansas was able to run at will, save for the last play. They were gashed for 285 yards at six yards a carry and three touchdowns on the ground. This was a bit revealing for both teams, but A&M hung tough and will have another chance to prove themselves next week at Mississippi State.


7) Michigan State Spartans
Week 5 Result: Beat Wyoming Cowboys 56-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 8

Jeremy Langford

Jesus, is Michigan State going to start playing anyone soon? Besides their game out at Oregon, they really haven't played anyone of consequence this season. Wyoming isn't terrible, but there was no way that they were going to be able to walk into East Lansing and pose any sort of real risk to the Spartans. The best thing that you can take away from this game is just how much depth they have at running back. As a team, they rushed for 338 yards and five touchdowns at six yards a carry. Langford leads the pack, but they have some other guys who add a bit more flash than the downhill style that he brings. Even though it is against inferior competition, it has been interesting to see the maturation of Connor Cook recently. He is starting to garner some first round consideration with his solid arm strength, good field vision, and accuracy. His receivers have also matured, especially Tony Lippet with whom he probably has the best connection. The Spartans will have their hands full next week with Nebraska and their Heisman hopeful, Ameer Abdullah. If they can put up an impressive victory against the Huskers, Michigan State could be right back in contention for a playoff spot this season.


8) Baylor Bears
Week 5 Result: Beat Iowa State Cyclones 49-28 in Ames
Last Week's Ranking: 7

Shawn Oakman

This game showed a bit more of a different dimension to the offense than what we are used to seeing from Baylor. Bryce Petty still had a good evening, but only threw one touchdown in an offense that makes its living through the air. Instead, the ground game combined to gash Iowa State for 244 yards and six touchdowns. After playing second fiddle to Lache Seastrunk last year, sophomore running back Shock Linwood has completely taken a hold of the starting position at running back and made the most of his opportunities. A smaller back, he is so difficult to find behind the line and works wonders in space. He had only 82 yards, but tacked on an additional three touchdowns which propelled the Bears in this game. Despite giving up four touchdowns, the defense still played pretty well. They limited a solid Cyclones offense to only 340 yards and gave up three touchdowns in the second half when they were already up by four touchdowns. They have a beast at defensive end in Shawn Oakman, who stands at 6'9 and has the ability to cause disruption on every single down. He had four tackles and a sack in this game and played better than his stat line would indicate. Baylor has a few easier games until they travel to Morgantown, where West Virginia gave the Sooners a tough fight for four quarters.


9) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Week 5 Result: Beat Syracuse Orange 31-15 at Metlife Stadium, NJ
Last Week's Ranking: 9

Everett Golson

It was a bit of a mixed outing for Everett Golson as he threw for four touchdowns but also threw two interceptions. Yet a few years ago when the Irish went on their great run, Golson was not trusted to air it out as much as he does now. Him reaching a dozen pass attempts was a sight to behold. Now, Brian Kelly as the utmost faith in him throwing the ball 30-40 times a game. He isn't running the ball as efficiently as he did that year, but he really doesn't need to with how well he is throwing it. Notre Dame has several running backs that they like to rotate which has worked out well so far. Each gets around ten carries a game, but they aren't finding the endzone as frequently. Golson's favorite target is Will Fuller who has 25 catches and five touchdowns through four games. He is a solid route runner with reliable hands which has earned him the number one position among the receivers. The defense has been absolutely stellar this year. They're allowing only 11.5 points per game and shut out Michigan a few weeks ago for the first time in almost thirty years. Michigan blows this year, so take it with a grain of salt, but they've still only allowed an average of 15 points in their other three contests. Next week will provide them with a true test to see where they stand when Stanford comes to South Bend.


10) Georgia Bulldogs
Week 5 Result: Beat Tennessee Volunteers 35-32 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 10

Todd Gurley

If Mark Richt can get this defense to play to the level that they are capable of, Georgia would easily be the favorite to win the SEC East. Instead, this team continues to just give up a lot of big plays which will eventually be their undoing (it already was against the Gamecocks). They are pretty solid against the run, but injuries to the secondary make them awful against the pass. Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley is a solid quarterback, but he looked like Peyton Manning out there against the Bulldogs secondary. He threw for three touchdowns against Georgia, all to bring Tennessee back to within four points of the Bulldogs. Georgia also has to mold their game plan with Huston Mason as he has proven to be little more than a game manager thus far into the season. He consistently under-throws passes, as was evidenced by his two interceptions in this game. Georgia has talent at receiver, but Mason didn't even crack 150 yards in the air. The reason Georgia is able to crack the top ten is because they have on of the most explosive backfields I've ever seen. Todd Gurley should honestly be at the top of the Heisman race as he is easily the best player in the country regardless of position. Gurley ran for over 200 yards and two touchdowns, including one of 51 yards when to really give the Bulldogs a commanding lead. They received a bit of bad news when freshman sensation Sony Michel was injured after three carries and is expected to miss a few weeks. But as long as they give Gurley the ball 20 times a game, they should be able to compete in any game.

The Best and Worst of the NFL

by Justin Rasile

Derek challenged me to come up with a different kind of write up for the NFL section. I have decided to go with a Top 3 and Bottom 3 list. This list will comprise of the best and worst three teams but instead of telling you why they are the best or west, I am going to tell you what the three best teams have to do to continue to be the best and what the three worst teams have to do to get out of the cellar. Here it goes!

Best 3

Cincinnati Bengals (3-0): Remember the old saying "Defense wins championships"? The Bengals are proving that true. They have allowed a total of 33 points through the first three games. Despite arguably Cincinnati's best defensive player Vontaze Burfict missing most of the last two games, the team has not missed a beat. This team needs to continue to play solid defense and they will have success. They have a very early bye week this upcoming week and that should help some of those dinged up players to recover and come back healthy. Andy Dalton has to continue playing mistake free football. He needs to get the ball to his big time playmaker in AJ Green and hand the ball off to Giovanni Bernard. With this team playing the way it is, they could be one to watch in the AFC as the only real threat to Denver.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-0): Chip Kelly's offense looks unstoppable. They have scored a total of 98 points in the first three games this year, the majority of those points coming in the second half. Nick Foles took some really good licks this past week and hopefully he is well enough going into this week as he faces another bruising defense in San Francisco. But I trust Kelly's game plans: he just needs to stop having his toughest practices of the week the day before the game or else he may begin to lose the locker room. The offensive line is going to be an issue for this team going forward. Lane Johnson is still suspended, Evan Mathis is out for a few more weeks, Jason Kelce is gone for six to eight weeks, and some of the other back ups have been banged up as well. If this team wants to continue to win, they need to keep Foles upright and healthy.

Arizona Cardinals (3-0): Say what you want but this team has won all three of their games and is sitting first in that vaunted NFC West. They play great defense and have won with their backup quarterback and without the defensive monster in Darnell Dockett. They have a tough stretch of the schedule as they play the Broncos, Redskins, and the Eagles in the next four weeks. But can you think of any coach that is more underrated than Bruce Arians? He is 22-9 over the past three seasons (including his fill in for Chuck Pagano in Indy), and has taken each of his teams to the playoffs. Running the ball and stopping the run could prove to be a recipe for success this season as long as Drew Stanton or Carson Palmer continues to play mistake free football. This team will be a force to be reckoned with.

Worst 3

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3): Finally. The switch to Blake Bortles has been made and now the Jaguars can move on and try to take the team in the new direction that has been promised to them. Jacksonville has been the laughing stock of the league for quite some time now (I would know) but Bortles was a shining bright spot in the preseason and proved that he will be the best quarterback going forward. This team already made the right move by placing the anemic Chad Henne as backup. They also made some defensive adjustments by benching safety Winston Guy for Josh Evans and linebacker LaRoy Reynolds for JT Thomas. They play San Diego this week and while that is a difficult match up for the winless Jags, there may just be a nice, little spark with the new regime of personnel moving in.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3): That beat down Tampa Bay just received by Atlanta may be a clear indicator of just how bad this team may be. Matt Ryan and the flyin' Falcons did whatever they wanted to do. The Bucs defense, despite having some former Pro Bowlers on it, looked horrendous. Yes it's true that they were missing three quarters of their defensive line and Gerald McCoy is a big part of what they are going to do moving forward, so they aren't THAT bad but Lovie Smith has a lot of work cut out for him. The Bucs offense is completely inept with Josh McCown leading the helm. The team will not grow with a 35 year old journeyman who succeeded in an offense because of three mammoth receivers. They need to start Mike Glennon to see if he is the quarterback that they will be moving forward with. They have a pretty stacked receiving core for the future with Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins but the team needs to come together under Lovie to see what they can actually do. 

Oakland Raiders (0-3): What do you really expect from this team? The head coach looks lost most of the time, the free agent signings don't seem to be panning out as they had hoped, and they are starting a rookie quarterback with not much of a supporting cast. This team had their most hated rivals beat this past week and kept giving the Patriots more and more opportunities to come back. To get out of the basement of the league, this team may need to turn to assistant coach Tony Sparano for a quick turnaround. No way this team makes the playoffs, but at least Sparano could add some stability to a routinely unstable team.

Will Muschamp Make it Through the Season?

It is beginning to look more and more like the 11-2 season in 2012 was the anomaly and not the norm. In his fourth year as the head coach of the Florida Gators, Muschamp has compiled a 24-17 record, with almost half of his victories coming in that one year alone. People knew from the moment he was hired that it was a tall order to replace Urban Meyer, the guy who won two national titles in a three year span. But even after a very average 7-6 campaign in his first season, there was some decent sense of optimism that things might just be okay. The 2012 season provided some familiarity and comfort to Gators faithful. Florida beat four ranked teams that year by a combined score of 132 to 63 and only lost the two games by a combined total of 18 points. They were ranked as high as number three in country before losing a tough game against Georgia, and were beaten in the Sugar Bowl by future first round pick Teddy Bridgewater. No shame in those losses.

Florida also gave us this iconic image against
Georgia Southern.

Yet for as good as 2012 was, 2013 was a dumpster fire. The Gators only won four games and lost their last seven is miserable fashion. The low point came when they lost at home to Georgia Southern despite Georgia Southern not even completing a single pass in the game. Looking back, it makes one wonder how the hell they were ranked 10th going into the season. Muschamp is known for his stout defenses, but last year was absolutely brutal on both sides of the ball. They gave up an average of three touchdowns a game which doesn't seem that bad, but giving up 26 to Georgia Southern and 36 to Vanderbilt on your own turf is just brutal. A lot of the defensive woes can be attributed to the rash of injuries that they suffered, but there's no excuse for giving up that number of points to schools that can't even hold a candle to Florida's recruiting ability. Worse than the defense was offense which was barely able to scratch 19 points per game last year, exceeding 21 points only four times (all of which came in their first five games).

To fix their offensive woes, Florida hired former Duke offensive coordinator Kurt Roper to get the offense flowing again. The offense seemed to be clicking in the first two games, putting up 65 against Eastern Michigan in a warm up game and 36 against Kentucky in a triple overtime game (yet only 20 in regulation). Yet Saturday's game against Alabama was a throw back to the ineffectiveness of this offense and goes to show how truly dreadful they can be. Alabama has always sported a good defense, but this year they have a very inexperienced secondary that a skillful quarterback can exploit. Is that a tall order against a Saban led defense? Absolutely. But Jeff Driskel was insanely terrible in this game. He connected on just 9 of his 28 passes for 93 yards and two picks. This right here is the source of Florida's struggles over last few years. A few of my good friends are Gators fans, including Justin who writes the pro section of this blog, and I can tell you with certainty that they cannot wait for him to graduate. Even during the 2012 season, Driskel was never anything close to what a quarterback playing at the UF should resemble. Kurt Roper's arrival does not seem to have done much to improve his play. But one has to wonder now if it is more systematic rather than the failures of a single player on offense.

Even Driskel's own receivers want him gone.

Last year, Driskel went down due to injury and Tyler Murphy was forced to start. Murphy transferred after the season to Boston College to be closer to his family where he already lead an upset over #9 USC. Before getting hurt at Florida, he was unspectacular, throwing for six touchdowns against five picks and never looking in control of the offense. Its not as if he is in the Heisman race now that he is at BC, but he is playing with more confidence with less talent surrounding him. The problem at Florida lies in the development of offensive talent. Driskel is the face of that, but it goes much deeper. Since 2012, Muschamp has hauled in three consecutive top ten recruiting classes and in those classes has brought in 14 wide receivers or tight ends ranked in the top 250 by Rivals. Yet these guys just simply have not produced. They obviously have the athletic talent, but they aren't being developed into the play makers that they should be. The leading receiver through three games has 23 receptions, but 15 of them came against Kentucky in a triple over time game. Even the running game has been inconsistent throughout his tenure at Florida. Defensive minded head coaches typically like to lean on the running game. Again, Florida has recruited some good talent at running back and offensive line but hasn't seen too much of the benefits of it.

This season it looks like it could be another rough one for the Gators. They started off pretty well, but a triple overtime victory against Kentucky was definitely concerning. Kentucky doesn't have nearly as much athletic talent on either side of the ball and shouldn't have been able to keep it that close. While the Gators put up 532 yards of offense, they had some trouble actually punching it into the endzone. And despite having arguable the best corner in the country in Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida's secondary has been torched the last two games. They gave up 370 yards to Kentucky to go along with three touchdowns (albeit with three interceptions too), and then gave up over 400 yards to Alabama quarterback Blake Sims who had looked remarkably average in his first few starts. From here on out, it doesn't get any easier for the Gators. In the next four weeks, Florida travels to Neyland Stadium where the Volunteers have the receivers to stretch the secondary, play at home against LSU, take on reigning SEC East champion Mizzou at home, and play in Jacksonville against arch-rival Georgia. I think the best case scenario is that they split those four games. Most likely, they'd beat Tennessee since they have had their number for a decade, and then take down LSU as they were recently exposed by Mississippi State. Yet even after that brutal four game stretch, they still have to play South Carolina and play at Florida State. There is a real possibility that they could actually lose all of those games given the offensive woes. If Florida loses their next four (as I mentioned, its a real possibility) and is on a five game losing streak, I sincerely doubt Muschamp will still have his job. 

Week 4 Top Ten

1) Florida State Seminoles
Week 4 Result: Beat No. 22 Clemson Tigers 23-17 at home in overtime
Last Week's Ranking: 1

I was tempted to drop Florida State a spot or two, but it is hard to really knock them for playing a sub-par game against an in conference rival and without their star quarterback. Sean Maguire started in relief of Winston and made some decent plays but overall was very streaky, He missed a few big play opportunities but made the biggest play when it mattered most, connecting with Rashad Greene for a 75 yard touchdown to tie the game at 17 with six minutes left in the game. It was pretty surprising to see the Seminoles only attempt 27 rushes. Clemson did a good job of bottling up the backs and closing running lanes quickly, but Karlos Williams did have some decent success against their front seven. The Florida State defense was bailed out by some missed opportunities from Clemson, but overall they played incredibly well. They secondary kept receivers out of the endzone, but did allow some big plays that allowed Clemson to get into the redzone. All in all, the Seminoles have just looked very average this year. I'm not sure if anyone in their conference is going to be able to beat them, but they need to improve in all phases should they make the playoffs.


2) Oregon Ducks
Week 4 Result: Beat Washington State Cougars 38-31 in Pullman
Last Week's Ranking: 2

It was a tough test for Oregon, but they were able to pull out a victory over a team that knows how to put up points. Mariota was on point and an absolute machine all night which was needed as the Cougars did surprisingly well against Oregon's dynamic rushing attack. Oregon still rushed for 172 yards, but they weren't finding the kind of room that they are used to operating in. Yet as mentioned, Mariota simply could not be stopped. He completed 21 of his 25 passes for 329 yards and five touchdowns. He has started a good connection with Devon Allen and Keanon Lowe, who combined for twelve catches and four touchdowns. Both have the ability to stretch the field vertically and are very sure handed. Oregon's defense was put to a real challenge this week as the Cougars aired it out 63 times and found success against the Ducks young and inexperienced secondary. Connor Halliday threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns and kept his team in the game against a far superior opponent. This game should serve to show that it is possible to beat Oregon. In the past, it has taken a tough and physical defense that could bottle the rush and make Mariota uncomfortable. But with the inexperience in the secondary, a quarterback who can straight up sling it could be enough to take them down.


3) Oklahoma Sooners
Week 4 Result: Beat West Virginia Mountaineers 45-33 in Morgantown
Last Week's Ranking: 3

The Sooners probably had the most impressive win this weekend over a team that can really put up points and made life miserable for Alabama a few weeks back. The defense had a tough challenge as Clint Trickett has been a great fit for Dana Holgerson's offense. The secondary forced Trickett into some mistakes and really made him work for his completions. The line also got into his face quite a bit, which helped force some throws that either turned into incompletions or picks. For the offense, it was all about the ground game for the Sooners. Despite losing their leading rusher Keith Ford last week, Samaje Perine has proven more than capable of taking the bulk of the carries. He converted 34 rushes into 242 yards along with four touchdowns. He ran over and through people all night. Trevor Knight didn't need to do much this game, but he was still a bit disappointing. He completed only 55% of his passes for 200 yards and throw an interception against no touchdowns. West Virginia has only an average secondary, so it was a little disappointing that he didn't have a bigger night. But Stoops knows how to play to his teams' strengths and with this being one of their toughest games of the season, the Sooners look primed for the playoffs.


4) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 4 Result: Beat Florida Gators 42-21 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 5

Consider this: Alabama had four turnovers and STILL won by three touchdowns. The defense played an absolutely lights-out game as they held the Gators to only 200 yards of offense. Jeff Driskel was only able to complete 9 of his 28 passes and the kept the rushers to an average of any four yards a carry. Driskel is a bad quarterback, but the inexperienced Alabama secondary completely shut down receivers while the defensive line made life hell for Driskel. Alabama racked up the most offensive yards that a Florida team has ever surrendered. Blake Sims had a true coming out party as he passed for 445 yards and four touchdowns, most of that being completed to Amari Cooper. Cooper might actually be the best player in the country regardless of position. He caught ten passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He is a fantastic route runner with a great combination of size and speed that makes him practically unguardable. His three touchdowns all showed that he can do everything at an elite level. Whether it is completely burning the coverage or out-muscling a corner back, he is impossible to cover one-on-one. As long as he is part of the offense, it really doesn't matter who is throwing the ball as it is almost guaranteed that he will make the catch.


5) Texas A&M Aggies
Week 4 Result: Beat SMU Mustangs 58-6 in Dallas
Last Week's Ranking: 6

The SEC West is about to become a real shit show with three teams in the top ten. Kevin Sumlin continues to prove that he is one of the best coaches in the country. He can make a star out of almost any quarterback that he gets his hands on. Kenny Hill had another good game, completing 73% of his passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 60 yards on the ground. A&M has a great group of receivers who can pretty much do anything. Between sure handed receivers and pure burners, it is incredibly difficult to cover this team when they go five wide. They also possess a stable of backs to continuously wear down any defense. The rush attack provided 268 yards at an average of almost nine yards a carry and also tacked on four touchdowns. We all know that the Aggies can destroy teams with their offense, but this game showed that they can make some defensive stops. SMU has a terrible team so this game needs to be taken with a plate of salt, but their defense has given up a lot of yards to inferior teams before. A&M will begin their SEC season next week against Arkansas who possesses an incredible running game. While they've already proven themselves against South Carolina, this will provide another good test before some of their tougher SEC foes.


6) Auburn Tigers
Week 4 Result: Beat No. 20 Kansas State Wildcats 20-14 in Manhattan
Last Week's Ranking: 4

I'm dropping Auburn not because of their performance against the Wildcats, but simply because I think Alabama and A&M are truly better teams. Auburn had a tough game, registering "only" 360 yards of offense, but that is more of a testament to the terrific job that Bill Snyder can do with inferior talent. Nick Marshall had a really tough night, completing just over half of his passes and never finding much room to run. As a whole, Auburn only averaged 2.8 yards per carry against Kansas State. No one had a longer run that 17 yards. It was really the passing attack that allowed the Tigers to escape this trap game. D'haquille Williams has become the go to guy for Marshall as he hauled in 8 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. Auburn has other reliable receivers in Sammie Coates and Ricardo Louis, but they were kept in check all night. The defense had a great night however. While the offense struggled the run the ball, the defense made life even more miserable against the viable Kansas State rush. The Wildcats averaged a paltry 1.3 yards a carry on 30 rushing attempts. Quarterback Jake Waters also had a tough night, throwing two interceptions against the athletic Auburn secondary. Kansas State is still a good team, so this is an excellent win for Auburn to make their case for a shot at the playoffs.


7) Baylor Bears
Week 4 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 7


8) Michigan State Spartans
Week 4 Result: Beat Eastern Michigan Eagles 73-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 8

I'm not even going to dive into this game because of how lopsided it was. Eastern Michigan has been an awful team for years and its basically just used as a punching bag for teams trying to warm up at the beginning of the season.


9) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Week 4 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 9


10) Georgia Bulldogs
Week 4 Result: Beat Troy Trojans 66-0 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 10

Again, I'm not going to delve too deeply into this game as it was a tune up before they start their real SEC schedule. It just continues to amaze me how ridiculous Georgia's group of running backs is. Sony Michel, a true freshman, turned 10 carries into 155 yards and three touchdowns. I'm assuming he got more carries than Gurley because Richt wants to get him in game reps so that he can utilize him more during the season. Georgia should consider taking the Navy approach and only throw the ball five to ten times a game with how incredibly their running backs are.

What the Hell is Wrong with Jameis Winston?

Honestly, this kid has surpassed Johnny Manziel on the shithead spectrum. While Manziel was just a college jackass, Winston seriously has something wrong with him. Since becoming the starter of Florida State last season, he has had numerous run-ins that have really damaged his image. And if you think that this won't affect where he is drafted should he come out after this season, think again. There were always questions about how Manziel's game would translate to the NFL, but his party heavy lifestyle definitely affected where he was drafted. Mel Kiper recently dropped Winston from a top five talent to number 25 on his big board because of his transgressions.

His actions really will affect his draft stock simply because teams don't want to deal with the headache that he can bring. Everyone made a huge deal about how Michael Sam would be a distraction, but his name has barely been mentioned aside from signing with the Cowboys practice squad. Winston would be an actual distraction. Let's start from the beginning.

First, he was accused of rape. I don't need to spell out for you how fucking heinous that is. He was cleared by the Tallahassee police, but now he is being investigated again through Title IX by the Florida State Athletic Department. I'm really not sure if anything further will come from it, but this is a huge red flag for teams.

His other two run ins with the law really aren't that bad overall, but they do show a real lack of intelligence from the kid. The stealing of crab legs from a Publix is more well known because of all the hilarious photoshopped images that surfaced after the incident. Again, this really isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things but NFL teams will certainly question his decision making and maturity. The other incident that got into trouble was pointing a BB gun at people on campus. Again, not really that big of a deal but it is really stupid thing for him to do. It just shows that he clearly has no filter and doesn't really process the fact that he is held to a hire standard because he is constantly in the spotlight now. What team is going to want to draft him if they are going to have to assign a baby sitter to him?

The newest controversy again isn't too big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but his judgment is so terrible its cringe-worthy. He screamed "fuck her right in the pussy" a bunch of times at the student union. This comes from a new fad where a guy dressed in a hoodie and sunglasses said it while being interviewed by a local news crew, and now people all over the place are trying to do the same. Again, its really not that bad, but it becomes worse when you realize the timing of it. He has just recently been cleared by the Tallahassee police of rape but the investigation is now being reopened by the the University. Screaming this at the top of his lungs in a crowded student union just shows breathtaking unawareness on his part. It also just shows a lot of immaturity that NFL teams are going to take note of when they are evaluating him. The fad isn't even that funny. Its the kind of shit that a 12 year old laughs at. Any more incidents might seriously cause his draft stock to fall. As it stands, a team desperate enough might take a chance on him. But there is no doubt that he is really he has a lot of growing up to do before he declares.

Week 3 Top Ten

1) Florida State Seminoles
Week 3 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 1


2) Oregon Ducks
Week 3 Result: Beat Wyoming Cowboys 48-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 2

As you'd expect, Oregon completely overwhelmed Wyoming. They had a very balanced attack on offense, with Mariota accounting for almost 300 yards and four touchdowns. What has impressed me the most is the emergence of freshman running back Royce Freeman. With all of the talent they have in the backfield, he has managed to work his way into getting his share of carries. He had only 22 yards, but his game against Michigan State showed that he can be special. Oregon doesn't face a real tough opponent until mid October at UCLA, so expect some of the younger guys to get a lot of playing time.


3) Oklahoma Sooners
Week 3 Result: Beat Tennessee Volunteers 34-10 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 3

If this is the kind of defense that Bob Stoops can get to play week in and week out, this team will have a real chance of winning the championship. Tennessee has some very good skill players at wide receiver and at running back, yet they barely accounted for 300 total yards of offense. They allowed a few big plays through the air, but Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley completed less than 50% of his passes and threw two interceptions. They can go long stretches of being suffocating, as evidenced by them only allowing 3.4 yards per rush. Offensively, they are still trying to find a good rhythm but Trevor Knight has been playing much more consistently. He did throw a pick, but overall played very well and moved the ball pretty easily. They had a big blow to their offense when their top rusher, Keith Ford, suffered a minor foot injury that could keep him out for up to a month. They have some other good runners, especially Samaje Perine, but Ford was undoubtedly their best runner. Next week will provide their best challenge of the short season when they travel to West Virginia for a night game.


4) Auburn Tigers
Week 3 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 4


5) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 3 Result: Beat Southern Miss Golden Eagles 52-12 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 5

Not going to learn a lot from this game. Blake Sims looked very good, but you should expect that when playing against inferior competition. What was very impressive was the display of running backs, who combined for 333 yards. TJ Yeldon gets most of the carries by seniority, but the best runner has the be Derrick Henry. Henry has the ability to take any carry to the house with his unique blend of raw power and top notch acceleration. Kenyan Drake got most of the action, and he brings more pure speed to the equation. With this backfield, Sims will barely have to throw to win games. Next week's game against Florida will provide a good test for an inexperienced quarterback.


6) Texas A&M Aggies
Week 3 Result: Beat Rice Owls 38-10 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 7

Again, not going to learn too much from this game. Kenny Hill seems like the perfect quarterback to run Sumlin's offense. He threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns while completing 65% of his passes. He doesn't run nearly as much as Manziel did, but he doesn't really need to considering they have more talented running backs like Tra Carson. Yet as has been the case of the last few years, the defense continues to struggle mightily. Its pretty amazing that they can give up almost 500 yards of offense to Rice. That will most likely come back to bite them as it did all last season.


7) Baylor Bears
Week 3 Result: Beat Buffalo Bulls 63-21 in Buffalo
Last Week's Ranking: 8

Baylor looks to be the only team that can compete with Oklahoma in the Big 12 this year. Art Briles has mastered the air raid offense as evidenced by Bryce Petty throwing for 400 yards after suffering a minor back injury only a week and a half before the game. Despite losing leading receiver from last season Antwan Goodley for an extended period, numerous receivers have stepped up to make big plays when needed. They are all incredibly fast receivers who are sure-handed, and the explosive play potential is limitless with this offense. The defense also looked solid, not allowing any points until the second half, but that was to be expected. This defense won't really be challenged until they play West Virginia in a month.


8) Michigan State Spartans
Week 3 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 10


9) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Week 3 Result: Beat Purdue Boilermakers 30-14 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top 10

As much as I hate to admit it, Notre Dame has been really impressive this season. They've outscored their opponents 109-31 and been dominant on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they rank 4th in the country allowing only 10 points a game. Linebacker Jaylon Smith is a true star on the rise, an athletic playmaker able to make plays sideline to sideline and find his way into the backfield. Its surprising that they have done so well despite losing a lot of guys from the front of their line from last season. On offense, Everett Golson has matured beyond belief after serving a season long suspension. He has improved drastically as a passer, adding a lot of velocity to his throws and becoming much more accurate. He is still a threat to run as he lead Notre Dame in rushing yards against Notre Dame. He doesn't have to do it all either as the Irish have several guys that are very capable of carrying the load. The offensive line still needs some work in the rush attack, but that should come with some more experience together. Notre Dame has a few more games of good competition to get them ready for their showdown in Tallahassee.


10) Georgia Bulldogs
Week 3 Result: Lost to South Carolina 35-38 in Columbia
Last Week's Ranking: 6

As per the script, the biggest thing holding Georgia back is Mark Richt. Richt is a very good head coach, but he makes some really baffling decisions at the most crucial times. Georgia had the ball on the South Carolina 4 yard line, yet Richt opted to throw on first down rather than run the ball with any of their Five Star running backs. Huston Mason ended up throwing the ball into the ground, drawing an intentional grounding penalty that moved them back and made a chip shot field goal a bit more difficult in the downpour, which their kicker would in fact miss. Mason is a solid quarterback, but he isn't the guy who is going to take over a game and win it for the Bulldogs. Predictably, they had a great day running the ball, rushing for 217 yards at almost six yards a pop. The defense also took a surprising step back after crushing Clemson. The secondary got torched and the front seven could not make the stops necessary to get the ball back at the end of the game. If the defense can't maintain any sort of consistency, they will have a hard time winning the SEC East.

Top Week 3 Games

Noon Game

West Virginia Mountaineers @ Maryland Terrapins (BTN)

This is another weak Saturday for the noon slot. As I said last week, this is the perfect time to just get crap done that you've been putting off before diving into the real games. But if you need your early fix, tune into this game. West Virginia gave Alabama a real run for their money in Week 1 while Maryland seems to have worked out the kinks from last year and finally has a healthy quarterback. Neither of these teams look ready to take over in their conference, so this game really isn't of much consequence other than them getting to a bowl game. If anything, this will provide a good glimpse at some potential NFL prospects. Maryland boasts one of the best receivers in the country in Stefon Diggs, an incredibly athletic receiver who would be more well known if he had more stable quarterback play. Early reports believe he will be a first round pick. The Mountaineers also have one of the best safeties in the country in Karl Joseph, who made plays all over the field against Alabama. Keep an eye on these two players if you tune in.

Afternoon Game

No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs @ No. 24 South Carolina Gamecocks (3:30 on CBS)

This game would be a lot more interesting if South Carolina hadn't gotten blown out of the water by A&M in the home opener. South Carolina is at a disadvantage because their best player, running back Mike Davis, is banged up with injury and will probably get limited carries. Their offense was clicking in the game last week against East Carolina, but they are going to have a much more difficult time with Georgia. A&M isn't exactly known for their defense, so its discouraging for South Carolina that they couldn't sustain the drives necessary to keep the game close. Their defense will have its hands full with Georgia's stacked backfield. The Bulldogs don't run the same up tempo offense that gave the Gamecocks fits, but they have the ability to just bludgeon defenses and wear them down with a ruthless running game. Georgia had a bye week last week so they should be ready defensively for anything the Ole Ball Coach can throw at them. I think Gurley has another big game that helps carry Georgia in a hostile environment, 30-21.

Night Game

Tennessee Volunteers @ No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners (8:00 on ABC)

There is pretty much no chance that Tennessee can win this game. They have made some good strides since extinguishing the dumpster fire that was Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley. But they simply don't have a good enough coach and a good enough team to go on the road to Norman and win this game. Oklahoma has looked a lot better than I could have predicted at the beginning of the season, winning their tune up games by a score of 100-23. They have ran the ball well despite the loss of freshman sensation Joe Mixon and Trevor Knight has played much more consistently, but not to the high level he did against Alabama. But as I mentioned, I can't expect them to struggle that much against the Volunteers. The defense has been very physical and should be able to get consistent pressure on Justin Worley. Tennessee does have some solid receivers though, especially in Marquez North who has been averaging 13 yards per reception. However, Tennessee hasn't ran the ball all that well in their early games. Jalen Hurd was supposed to make an immediate impact but really hasn't done too much of note early on. I think the Sooners put this one away early, 38-17.

Week 2 Top 10

1) Florida State Seminoles
Week 2 Result: Beat Citadel Bulldogs 37-12 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 1


2) Oregon Ducks
Week 2 Result: Beat No. 7 Michigan State Spartans 46-27 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 4


3) Oklahoma Sooners
Week 2 Result: Beat Tulsa Golden Hurricane 52-7 in Tulsa
Last Week's Ranking: 5


4) Auburn Tigers
Week 2 Result: Beat San Jose State Spartans 59-13 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 3


5) Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 2 Result: Beat Florida Atlantic Owls 41-0 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 2


6) Georgia Bulldogs
Week 2 Result: Bye Week
Last Week's Ranking: 7


7) Texas A&M Aggies
Week 2 Result: Beat Lamar Cardinals 73-3 at home
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top 10


8) Baylor Bears
Week 2 Result: Beat Northwestern State Demons 70-6 at home
Last Week's Ranking: 9


9) USC Trojans
Week 2 Result: Beat No. 13 Stanford Cardinal 13-10 in Palo Alto
Last Week's Ranking: Outside Top 10


10) Michigan State Spartans
Week 2 Result: Lost 27-46 to No. 3 Oregon Ducks in Eugene
Last Week's Ranking: 6

NFL Season Preview

The time has come for expansion. I love both college and pro football, but if I had to choose one to watch for the rest of my life, I wouldn't hesitate to say college. I've been meaning to try and incorporate some NFL articles into my blog, but it is so difficult when already trying to crank out a few college articles a week. As such, I'm bringing my friend Justin on board to start writing some articles for the NFL season. He helped me out a lot with some pre-draft scouting and wanted to continue writing. So, with the NFL season already having got underway last night, here is Justin's preview for each team, along with the projected records of each team.

AFC

North

Baltimore Ravens- (9-7) What an offseason for the Ravens and Ray Rice.  John Harbaugh will definitely have his work cut out for him this year, but I have a feeling that he will get his team back to where it needs to be to get back into the playoffs.  They need to revert to the smash mouth football that we are so accustomed to seeing from the Ravens.  With Ray Rice suspended for the first 2 games this season and everything that has happened to him, I could see that being a huge motivating factor for him getting back to the Ray Rice we were so accustomed to, excluding last season.  Hopefully they don’t let Joe Flacco air it out all over the place, but at least they added Steve Smith and Owen Daniels on offense and added the beast that is C.J. Mosely on D.  That defense will be just as good as it has been and with the influx of youth that is so desperately needed, but it will once again come to that inept offense and Average Joe Flacco.

Cincinnati Bengals- (11-5) What a deal for Andy Dalton!  But let’s be serious, what a boneheaded move by the Bengals.  What exactly did they pay Dalton for?  To be an average quarterback?  Luckily, looking closer at the contract, they can move on from Dalton if they so choose because the majority of the guaranteed money is in the first two seasons.  But let’s get back to the team.  You still have A.J. Green and as long as he remains an elite wide receiver, this offense will have to run through him.  They also added a stud cornerback in Darqueze Dennard to improve that already staunch defense.  But we cannot forget about one of my guys to watch this year: Giovanni Bernard.  This kid is going to be a stud, especially in a division when the Steelers and Ravens did not get better and the Browns have not proven anything.  Bernard had a pretty decent rookie season last year and is now the guy after Cincinnati released Benjarvus Green-Ellis.  It is the Bengals division to lose this year.

Cleveland Browns- (8-8) Manziel or Hoyer?  What a team to watch this year and what a reality show it could turn out to be.  Head coach Mike Pettine will have his media rooms full everyday asking when “Johnny Cleveland” will be thrust into the starting lineup.  Either way, it’s going to be fun and the entire football universe is going to be paying close attention to the team from Cleveland, which is definitely a change from the norm for them.  With all of the talk about this offense this offseason, we have completely forgotten about how great that defense is and how much better it can get.  They added Donte Whitner to add some more POP to that defense as well as Justin Gilbert to be that playmaker on the opposite side of Joe Haden.  This secondary could rival what the Seahawks have, but lets talk about that offense.  Brian Hoyer will start for the first three games this year.  Then after they head into the bye week with a record of 1-2, in comes Johnny Football to add a little spark into that Josh Gordon-less offense.  The Browns will definitely be a team to keep an eye on this year, especially if Manziel takes the game seriously and works on improving his mechanics and not taking off and running if the first pass option isn’t there.

Pittsburgh Steelers- (8-8) This team has been in need of a youth movement for years and now that they let Ryan Clark and LaMarr Woodley walk, they can now get to it.  The additions of Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt will add a nice mix of speed and power to get the Steelers back into their old ways of grinding football.  The main thing holding the defense back will be their secondary.  The once great Troy Polamalu is now a liability in the backfield as his cover skills have deteriorated and he is still as injury prone as ever.  Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount should pair up nicely, as per their arrest record, and be a nice 1-2 punch.  But, Big Ben has this air around him that always reassures Steelers fans that everything will be okay and they usually are but I cannot see them making the playoffs this year.  It is a steep hill they will have to climb but if anybody can do it, Big Ben can.

South

Houston Texans- (10-6) Was Ryan Fitzpatrick really an upgrade over Matt Schaub?  I tend to think not but despite that the Texans will be the team with the quickest turnaround.  This defense was stout AND then they added Jadeveon Clowney.  With J.J. Watt tutoring Clowney and staying on him, Clowney could become the next perennial superstar in a very short amount of time.  Both defensive players could have double-digit sacks, and then add Whitney Mercillus and Brian Cushing to the mix and it makes a recipe for disaster for opposing quarterbacks this season.  Houston’s season is going to come down to their offense.  Andre Johnson is not happy and Arian Foster can’t stay healthy.  Luckily enough, the defense will be great enough to win them games and keep them close in the others.  Bill O’ Brian is also a hell of a coach and knows how to get the most from his offensive players so maybe he can figure out what to do with Fitzpatrick and get those Texans back into the playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts- (12-4) The Colts are bringing out the big guns this year.  They are a team on a mission to absolutely crush anybody in their path.  Don’t believe me?  That offense is going to be even better in Andrew Luck’s third year.  The team added Hakeem Nicks to an already damn good receiving core, which includes a healthy Reggie Wayne and a T.Y. Hilton, who came on very strong last year and still produced despite being covered like a number one wide out.  Trent Richardson is going to improve, especially after addressing the offensive line in the draft with Jake Mewhort.  The Colts also added one of my favorite players to watch: D’Qwell Jackson.  Jackson is an absolute stud at the linebacker position and has played in every single game in the last three seasons.  This team will go through Andrew Luck and he is going to take them deep into the playoffs this year.

Jacksonville Jaguars- (7-9) Be forewarned, I am a Jaguars fan.  So this may be a little biased but I truly believe this team is on the up and up.  While the team is not very deep, it can definitely remain competitive in every game they play in this year.  Led by head coach Gus Bradley, this team is motivated and will do whatever it takes to win, and you have to love a team like that.  The Blake Bortles debate is on.  He looks like a very good quarterback with tremendous upside and if worked into the lineup at the right time, this team could be one to watch out for.  The defense will make large strides again this year.  Young and fiery, the defense plays with a swagger that stems directly from Bradley.  The interior offensive line will hold the team back as it is apparent that they cannot block anybody.  The wide receivers are young and need to stay healthy so as to practice together and be ready for next year when Bortles will be the starting quarterback.  But until then, this team will go with Chad Henne as the starter for at least the first five games and depending on the record, everything will probably be reevaluated.  I am actually excited to be a Jaguars fan this year.

Tennessee Titans- (4-12) The definition of mediocrity for the last few seasons has been the Tennessee Titans.  Since 2009, they have won 8, 6, 9, 6, 7 games respectively.  The team needed to change something around to get over that hump and they hope that head coach Ken Wisenhunt will get them there.  Jake Locker’s career has been full of injuries and I don’t expect that to change.  Thankfully they drafted Zach Mettenberger who has actually looked quite good.  If the season starts going south early, I expect Mettenberger to get thrust into the starting lineup to give the team a little spark with his big arm and Justin Hunter’s playmaking ability.  With the addition of Bishop Sankey, this team has a bunch of young, talented and exciting players for some years to come.

East

Buffalo Bills- (6-10) Sammy Watkins is an absolute animal, but there is only so much a rookie wide receiver can do.  I really liked how E.J. Manuel looked last year before getting hurt.  He showed some good poise and good pocket presence as a rookie so we will see how much he has progressed going into his second season.  The defense would probably be improved had it not lost one of the best young linebackers in the game, Kiko Alonso, to a season ending ACL injury.  They added Brandon Spikes but lost Stevie Johnson and Jairus Byrd, so it seems to me that they will be roughly in the same position as they were last year, minus a first round draft pick.  They still have the two headed, injury riddled monsters at the running back position, C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson.  Both running backs have top ten talent but they cannot seem to stay healthy.  Maybe this is the year that actually happens but it’s such a tough sport to play with a soft body.

Miami Dolphins- (7-9) Now is the time for Ryan Tannehill to take that step forward and become an elite quarterback that he has the potential to be.  The Dolphins made improvements to a horrendous offensive line that allowed Tannehill to get sacked 58 times.  They signed big offensive tackle Branden Albert to help solidify the line but the loss of Mike Pouncey is a huge detriment.  They also picked up free agent running back Knowshon Moreno, who is also pretty good at pass protection, but I cannot see him duplicating what he did in an offense with Peyton Manning at the helm.  The team is still young and has a pretty consistent defense in a sub par division this year.  Miami could easily take my projected 7-9 record and win 9 games, making them a borderline playoff team but a lot of those wins will be dependent on the Tannehill to Mike Wallace downfield exchange.

New England Patriots- (10-6) Besides wide receiver, this team addressed the majority of their needs. But they went ahead and let Aqib Talib go and then instantly filled and upgraded the position by signing Darrelle Revis.  This move makes the defense that much better because Revis’s Island is still a sure thing.  The other defensive back positions were filled with the signings of Brandon Flowers and Patrick Chung.  Although for some reason, the Patriots seem reluctant to draft a marquee wide receiver, which is probably their greatest need, and decided to stick it out with Danny Amendola and Aaron Dobson.  Enjoy that again this year, Brady.  The Patriots absolutely need Rob Gronkowski to stay healthy this year as his presence on the field demands the extra attention that these young wide receivers need in order to be matched up and win their one on one matches.  The defense will be vastly better with all of their players back from injury (notably Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo) and by drafting Dominique Easley.  Tom Brady is still leading that team and if he can get down the timing with his receivers, they could absolutely make another run deep into the playoffs.

New York Jets- (8-8) This is just another mediocre team that Rex Ryan and John Idzik has assembled.  Maybe Chris Johnson has a little bit left in the tank after taking the last few seasons off with the Titans but that remains to be seen.  Eric Decker, while valuable with the Broncos because of his ability to win his one on one matchups, is going to be one of the center points for defensive coordinators to key on.  That could be a tough hill for him to climb, especially without Peyton Manning throwing him the ball now.  Mike Vick comes in to help Geno Smith with his development but he may end up being the better option halfway into the season, as Rex will be trying to keep his job.  They lost their top cornerback in Antonio Cromartie and in to try and fill his shoes are Kyle Wilson and Dee Milliner.  Rex Ryan is a great defensive mind but I just do not believe he has what it takes to be the Super Bowl winning head coach he has so often predicted he would be.  If this team doesn’t make the playoffs, Ryan has to be canned and the rebuilding process will begin.

West

Denver Broncos- (13-3) The Broncos were absolutely embarrassed in the Super Bowl.  The offense got dominated at every position by that tough Seattle defense and the Denver defense was manhandled at the line.  So what does John Elway do to make sure that doesn’t happen again?  Make the team better at every position.  The Broncos went out and signed Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward and also drafted Bradley Roby in the first round to shore up that secondary, picked up DeMarcus Ware to find another way to rattle the quarterback, and also let an aging liability that is Champ Bailey go.  The Broncos are even better than they were before and oh, by the way, they still have Peyton throwing anywhere and everywhere he wants to.  Eric Decker may have been allowed to walk but they still signed Emmanuel Sanders and still have their top receivers coming back from last season, with the exception of Wes Welker for 4 games (who took whatever is it that he took).  Although their schedule is way tougher than last year, I actually see that as a good thing.  They play against the NFC West, which means they will be up against great defenses like the Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals, and 49ers.  This team will be challenged week in and week out and we will know by the end of the season if this will be another Super Bowl contender.  The Broncos are my pick to win the Super Bowl this year.  The team got better and is more motivated to kick the crap out of everybody who lines up against them.  That is a scary thought.

Kansas City Chiefs- (8-8) The Chiefs will live and die by Jamaal Charles again this year.  It is always so incredibly hard to let it ride on just one guy but I believe Charles can handle it again this year.  The biggest obstacle they have to overcome is losing three starters on the offensive line through free agency.  Three guys that were integral to Charles’s 1980 yards from scrimmage last season.  That is a big void to fill.  Kansas City will also be up against a much more brutal schedule this year and if anything happens to Charles, the team could be staring into the face of a less than .500 record.  Dwayne Bowe has taken the last few years off and has killed fantasy teams in the process.  If only he could find some motivation but it will be another lackluster year from him, especially with Alex Smith only throwing 10 yard out and in passes.  Special teams could be a big upgrade for this team.  Everybody is gushing over De’Anthony Thomas and his electrifying speed.  We will see if everything he has done in the preseason translates over to the regular season.  Playing against the teams in the NFC West, I do not anticipate the Chiefs making the playoffs this year.

Oakland Raiders- (4-12) The RAAAIIIDERSSSSSS will once again be the Raiders.  Another year, another losing record, and another chance at a complete overhaul in the front office.  It seems like everything this team does, works against them and I have a hunch that the same will happen again in the upcoming season.  This year they signed a bunch of “wiley ole veterans” and hope that they mesh well with the influx of rookies and young players on the team.  They do have quite a bit of talent on the roster and signed some big names like James Jones to help with the receivers, Justin Tuck to help with the defensive line, and LaMarr Woodley to help with the linebackers.  Also, if (and when) Darren McFadden goes down this year, Maurice Jones-Drew may have a chance at a little revitalization in a new uniform.  Khalil Mack may prove to be a lone bright spot on this team as he could become the next stud pass rushing linebacker and Derek Carr has a shot at reclaiming the family name by playing well this year and proving he can stare into the face of blitzes.  But everything this team and head coach Dennis Allen does backfires, so it will be interesting to see how it all blows up in Oakland this year.

San Diego Chargers- (9-7) This could be a huge year for Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers.  They hit big time on their rookie wide out selection in Keenan Allen, who is primed to have an even bigger year this year, and the team did not really lose any key players through free agency.  They drafted one of my favorite players to watch last year in Jason Verrett and are getting back players who had injury issues and trouble staying on the field last year in Dwight Freeney and Manti Te’o.  There is also a player to watch on offense who is primed for a breakout season, the tight end Ladarius Green.  He is big, fast, and strong and stands at 6 foot 6, 240 pounds with 4.4 speed.  Those numbers are Calvin Johnson-esque, but he just needed to take some time to sit behind Antonio Gates and develop.  Especially with Gates nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career, it is setting up nicely for Green to breakout.  Rivers’ pass happy offense will help put Green and Allen on the map of fantasy football and real football as they look to scratch and crawl their way into the playoffs.

NFC

North

Chicago Bears- (11-5) Defense, defense, defense.  The epitome of the Bears and their tough-nosed, smash mouth way of doing things went completely awry last year.  It was historically bad for a team that is consistently known for their suffocating defense.  The Bears were smart in letting Julius Peppers leave and in to fill his shoes, and in my opinion surpass them, is Jared Allen.  Allen is of the best players in the league to watch.  His energy and work ethic is unmatched by anybody and he gives it all he can on every single play.  Not exactly what you would say about Julius Peppers.  They also added Lamarr Houston, Willie Young, and Ryan Mundy to the defense while adding Kyle Fuller and Will Sutton through the draft.  That defense is going to be very much improved, which is necessary considering Aaron Rodgers is back and ready for another season.  This team will run through that offense though.  Jay Cutler will be throwing to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, in another year of Marc Trestman’s offense.  Matt Forte is ready to handle his usual workload again.  Look for the Bears to be a Super Bowl contender as they try to have teams travel to Soldier Field in the cold of January.

Detroit Lions- (8-8) I honestly feel bad for Calvin Johnson.  He is our generations Barry Sanders in the fact that he may never win a Super Bowl despite being by far the best player at his position in the league.  And the Lions do not get any better annually.  Matthew Stafford has great stats because he can throw to Calvin Johnson but that is because Johnson created his own separation.  Thankfully, the Lions went out and signed Golden Tate to take away some of the triple coverage away from Megatron.  Eric Ebron could be a very nice addition to the offense next year but he will have a steep learning curve, as do most rookie tight ends, this year.   That defense is going to once again bring down the team.  The secondary is atrocious and they get to go up against Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler twice a year.  That alone could be four losses because of that group.  Rashean Mathis was a good corner in his tenure with Jacksonville but he has lost a step on his relied upon speed and ballhawking ability.  That just screams, “Throw at me”.  But all in all, Detroit will be average once again and in a division with Rodgers and Cutler, it will be very tough for them to see the playoffs unless drastic changes are made to improve that secondary.

Green Bay Packers- (12-4) Look out NFL defenses!  Aaron Rodgers is back and looking better than ever. He is making all his throws and is looking as if he is in mid-season form already.  Especially with him having Jordy Nelson, getting Randall Cobb back, and drafting Davante Adams, the offense should be firing on all cylinders.  Eddie Lacey is that big stud running back that Green Bay has been missing so now instead of Rodgers throwing fade routes to the back of the end zone, Lacey can pound it inside for the touchdown once they are in the red zone.  Green Bay also upgraded their defense quite significantly as long as they can motivate Julius Peppers and get him yearning to get that Super Bowl Championship he should so desperately desire.  Especially paired with Clay Matthews rushing off the edge, Peppers could be in line for a huge season with the one on one match ups he should get.  They also drafted Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to shore up that secondary.  Expect this Packers team to go deep into the playoffs.  That week one matchup vs. Seattle keeps looking better and better (Editor’s Note: lol, maybe not).

Minnesota Vikings- (6-10) Just like every year since 2007, this team’s overall win/ loss record will be on the shoulders of Adrian Peterson.  There is no denying his greatness, but it is a large task to overcome especially in the NFC North where they have to play the Packers and the Bears twice.  They could very easily start the season 0 and 5 and then put in Teddy Bridgewater to see what they have for their future.  Cordarrelle Patterson could turn out to be an absolute beast at wide receiver.  Big, strong, and moves extremely well with very sure hands.  If Bridgewater ends up panning out, these two could become a nice, young tandem for years to come.  Mike Zimmer takes over a team that has finished in last place three out of the last four years and Aaron Rodgers is not going anywhere.  So to be competitive in this division the Vikings will have to play fantastic defense, which happens to be Zimmer’s specialty.  Every year he put out top-notch defenses and I expect him to do that with this Minnesota unit.  I was not the biggest fan of Anthony Barr coming out of college, but if anybody can make him into the player that he could become, it’s Zimmer.

South

Atlanta Falcons- (6-10) This may be the year that Mike Smith gets fired.  In addition to switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense, they lost their top playmaking linebacker in Sean Witherspoon for the year.  At a position of weakness for the team, losing their top player at that position can only mean bad things to come.  They signed former first rounder Tyson Jackson who had a pretty decent year last year but the defense still needs plenty more help.  The offense could make a nice rebound this year after they get star wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones back from injury.  Those two players could make a world of a difference, especially with Harry Douglass coming off a career year last year and Matt Ryan still slinging the ball around.  The run game leaves a lot to be determined.  Steven Jackson did not play much last year after being hampered by a slew of injuries and early round pick Devonta Freeman could overtake the starting job.  The offensive line play was shaky last year and then they signed big time prospect Jake Matthews out of Texas A&M.  Matthews is now on the verge of switching from right tackle to left tackle after Sam Baker went down.  All in all, the team is mediocre at best and will need career years from both star wideouts if Mike Smith aims to keep his job.

Carolina Panthers- (7-9) What is this team doing?  Does Juan Rivera not understand how continuity works on offense?  Cam Newton had a great year last year and then in the blink of an eye, his entire receiving core is gone.  Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, and Ted Ginn Jr. are all gone.  Insert first round pick Kelvin Benjamin and former Philadelphia Eagle Jason Avant.  Greg Olsen is still an option and he could be in line for a huge year as being the only receiver Newton has any continuity with.  This team could very easily be 3-8 heading into their bye week because of the degree of difficulty of their schedule.  From September 21^st to November 16^th, the Panthers play the Steelers, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Packers, Seahawks, Saints, Eagles, and Falcons.  What a stretch of quality teams but hey that’s football.  The defense looks to build off of last year where they were one of the top defensive units.  Luke Kuechly is an absolute beast and should lead the team in tackles again this year.  They still have Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy rushing off the edge, even though Hardy is still waiting to hear about his potential multi game suspension.  This could be a major blow to the team as Hardy has a combined 26 sacks in the last two seasons.  This team faces an uphill battle as they have a rough schedule and a brand new look on offense.

New Orleans Saints- (13-3) The Saints have one of the friendliest schedules of any team this year.  Two of their most difficult games are against the Packers and the 49ers and will be played at home in the Superdome.  And as we all know, the Saints have a 12^th man of their own in that stadium, not to the extent of the Seahawks but it’s still pretty damn impressive.  Drew Brees and Sean Payton are back to lead this prolific offense and the tandem between Brees and Jimmy Graham look to build on from last years record setting numbers.  Insert Brandin Cooks, the speedster from Oregon State who has 195 receptions for 2,881 yards and 21 touchdowns in the last two years.  Now Cooks has Brees throwing him the rock.  On the other side of the ball, New Orleans instantly upgraded with the signing of Jairus Byrd to cover the free safety position.  The Saints now have one of the best one-two punches with Byrd and strong safety Kenny Vaccaro.  Thankfully they cut the downtrodden Champ Bailey as to let Keenan Lewis and Patrick Robinson cover the outside corner spots.  Cameron Jordan looks to step up into the elite level at the defensive end position as he is going to explode for even more sacks than he got last year.  I look for the Saints to go deep into the playoffs as long as they have home field advantage and their defense builds off of last year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- (7-9) Greg Schiano took this team and pummeled it into the ground.  Players didn’t respect him and there were a slew of other mishaps that kept him from keeping his job.  In comes former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith.  His smashmouth way of playing the game is something the Buccaneers could transition to and become competitive very quickly and easily.  He has his running back in Doug Martin but at quarterback he has journeyman Josh McCown.  McCown had a great year last year in Marc Trestman’s offense.  In Trestman’s offense, McCown was throwing to three targets that were over 6 foot 4 in Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett and now in Tampa Bay, McCown has tall targets yet again in Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.  He could have a very good season if his rookie wide out and tight end transition seamlessly from college to the pros.  On the defensive side of the ball, through free agency, the main piece that the Bucs lost was Darrelle Revis.  Revis, while having a very productive career, demanded way too much money for a team that was looking to rebuild quickly.  The money the team saved from cutting Revis allowed them to sign McCown, Michael Johnson, Alterraun Verner, and Evan Dietrich-Smith. I think any team would take that trade off.  This team will be on the outside looking in, especially in the NFC.

East

Dallas Cowboys- (6-10) Well here we go Dallas fans.  I believe this is Jason Garrett’s last year coaching “America’s Team”.  The team is pretty lackluster all around.  The defense was horrible last year and to make matters worse, they released DeMarcus Ware and lost Sean Lee to a torn ACL.  What a great start.  Then they lost Demarcus Lawrence, the guy they planned on replacing Ware, for at least 8 weeks.  The Cowboys are on fast track to being a very mediocre team, which is something they have traditionally been good at the past few years.  This offense is still led by Tony Romo, Jason Witten, and Dez Bryant.  I expect Bryant to take another step forward this year, and hopefully another step forward in maturity.  Maybe Romo can stay fully healthy this for the entire season.  I do not see this team being able to win more than 8 games this year.  Jerry Jones NEEDS to give up control of the team.  Sure he won plenty back in the 1990s but he won those Super Bowls with teams created by Jimmy Johnson.  Jerry Jones will continue to ruin this team until somebody steps in and does something

New York Giants- (5-11) There is big trouble for Big Blue.  The Giants are in the middle of transitioning from experienced veteran leaders to a younger team attempting to conform to Tom Coughlin’s no nonsense dictatorship coaching style.  I believe this could implode in his face, as players do not respect the authoritative coaching style as much anymore.  Along with that little issue, Eli Manning is now working with a new offensive coordinator in a new system for the first time since he came into the league.  And he was mediocre at best in that system.  In the preseason, Eli and his receivers had pretty bad timing.  The routes looked like they were ran too short or Eli missed something.  It is a new system and there is usually an adjustment period so maybe they will get it together in time to try and make a run for the NFC East title.  Rashad Jennings could have a nice little breakthrough year with the Giants.  He was a pretty serviceable back whenever Darren McFadden would go down with whatever injury decided to pop up.  One thing going against Jennings is the new look at offensive line.  The last remaining member of the 2007 Super Bowl line just retired so it is time to start over on that front.  The defense will be just okay this year.  The secondary looks to be pretty solid but the linebacking core does not seem to be up to snuff for those bold Giants defenses of the past.

Philadelphia Eagles- (11-5) Round 2: Chip Kelly vs. NFL defenses.  Kelly “changed” the way offenses are ran.  Bold statement by some experts.  I wouldn’t go that far but he has definitely sped it up and with another year gone by, the offense looks to be even faster and more efficient.  Nick Foles blew up last year.  He came from relative obscurity to a superstar in the matter of a season.  His touchdown to interception ratio was unreal: 27 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions.  There is also this little running back named LeSean McCoy who led the league in rushing last year and looks to build off of that.  The team lost DeSean Jackson to free agency but Jeremy Maclin is back to help shore up the receiving core.  The defense needs some of their former high draft picks to step up and make some plays.  Guys like Vinny Curry and Brandon Graham were drafted because they had the ability to make plays but they have not done enough of that.  Maybe this year is the year.  The Eagles are the scariest team in the NFC East and that offense will role over all the defenses in their division.

Washington Redskins- (6-10) Robert Griffin III has to do a better job this year at many things.  The main thing is he has to protect his body.  There were way too many instances in preseason, yes PRESEASON, of him trying to gain extra yards by staying in bounds and forcing a couple extra hits.  Don’t be a hero Robert.  He also has to stop turning the ball over as noted by his 16 turnovers last year.  This team is not comprised of just one player.  They also signed big time free agent DeSean Jackson to give RG3 another weapon in addition to Pierre Garcon and the up and coming tight end Jordan Reed.  The defense looks to be pretty stout on the front 7.  Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo could both produce double-digit sack seasons, along with Jason Hatcher who had 11 sacks last year.  The pass rush could be there and good enough to help out the somewhat bland secondary led by DeAngelo Hall and Ryan Clark.  The Redskins could swing more wins their way if RG3 plays like he did his rookie season and stays healthy but that’s why we play the game.

West

Arizona Cardinals- (6-10) Poor Darnell Dockett and poor Cardinals.  The Cardinals just lost one of the best and most disruptive defensive tackles in the game.  This comes as a massive blow to a very good defense with such great players like Calais Campbell and Patrick Peterson, two of the premier players at their position.  This proves to be tough for Arizona as they are looking to make the playoffs in the NFC but that would be a difficult task even if they were not in a division with the 49ers, Seahawks, and the up and coming Rams.  To try and replace Dockett, the Cardinals signed Tommy Kelly but I don’t believe that will be enough to get them over the hump in the division they are in.  The offense, for as much as I trust Bruce Arians and his way of operating an efficient offense, is just not there.  The offensive line play is shaky at best and Carson Palmer is just a mediocre quarterback, even with the future hall of famer Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd catching his poor throws.

San Francisco 49ers- (12-4) Is it just me or is Jim Harbaugh having a tough time controlling his team?  There always seems to be some type of dysfunction that goes on but that will always be an issue with player coaches (something Bill Belichick rarely has to deal with).  But this team will once again be in the thick of things in the toughest division in all of the NFL.  Colin Kaepernick will be leading an offense that looks to be better than it was before with the addition of Stevie Johnson and a young Carlos Hyde (with a potential reemergence of Marcus Lattimore).  The defense will be just as good as last year, even while missing NaVarro Bowman for half the year and losing three cornerbacks and Donte Whitner.  This roster is full of talent and depth at the majority of positions and will once again have Seattle in their way to impede the season and make it extremely difficult to win the division.  Although, once Colin Kaepernick is in the playoffs, he turns on the jets and reaches a whole other level of quarterback.

Seattle Seahawks (13-3) This team is definitely a dynasty in the making.  No other team in the NFL may have more talent, depth, and a great energy that stems from the coaches on down to the players and the fans.  There are perennial superstars at almost every position on the team and they are mainly young players.  Although they did lose quite a bit of quality players through free agency, there is depth behind those players so they really didn’t lose a whole lot.  They are also getting Percy Harvin back this year, and maybe he will actually stay healthy for a season.  They also drafted Paul Richardson out of Colorado to give Russell Wilson even more weapons to work with.  Marshawn Lynch looks to build off of last season where beast mode was fully into effect.  And lets talk about that defense: Sherman, Thomas, Avril, Bennet, Wright, Wagner.  You can go on and on and on.  Russell Wilson and that offense doesn’t have to do much to put up points when the defense is forcing three and outs and giving the offense great field position.  Pete Carroll is in charge of an amazingly talented and young team and so far he is doing all the right things to make sure this team is in position to win week in and week out.  As long as everybody is as hungry as they were last year, this team will be in the Super Bowl again.  The road to the playoffs runs through Seattle.

St. Louis Rams- (7-9) Well, Sam Bradford went down along with the Rams’ hopes of reaching the playoffs.  Don’t let my projected 7 and 9 record fool you.  This is a damn good team with plenty of depth on defense.  The offense is a little shaky, even when Bradford is healthy.  Zac Stacy is a pretty good running back and it does not seem like he will have much competition as Tre Mason has not looked good so far in camp.  The receivers are young and unproven.  Tavon Austin will need to have a monster year if this team has any hopes of being in the running for a wild card spot, as long as he has learned the playbook by now.  Kenny Britt is definitely an interesting signing.  The former first round pick could ignite a nice spark for the team being that big bodied red zone threat.  Chris Long and Robert Quinn lead that fearsome defense along with James Laurinaitis, Janoris Jenkins, and Alec Ogletree.  All young, premier players at their respective positions.  This team has a great nucleus of players that desperately need a quarterback to lead them.  Sam Bradford is not the answer and neither is him tearing his ACL… AGAIN.  It is time the Rams go in a different direction at that position and Shaun Hill is definitely not the answer.